A Reminder: Don’t view yourself as just a member, view yourself as an athlete.
-Ben Stroud

I often find it a blessing to myself to have an understanding as to what CrossFit as a training methodology can do for an individual. Fitness finally has a definition thanks to CrossFit, that definition is “work capacity across broad time and modal domains”.  The beautiful aspect of this definition is that it can be viewed as quantifiable data. We can measure and track where our fitness goes. The reason we perform “constantly varied functional movements at high intensity” is because it has been shown to be the best way at increasing your work capacity across a broad spectrum of time and different domains of movement.

However, It seems there is a sticking point to increasing ones fitness level. A plateau that no matter how much variance is in the program you follow, fitness makes minimal gains. Now this program works, you observe games athletes such as Rich Froning and Camille Leblanc-Bazinet. It was assumed they may not make it back to the games. Other unknown athletes with more skill and genetic potential will emerge and take their places. Well Rich won his third title last year and Camille has been a consistent contender at the games. Where are all these highly skilled athletes that were supposed to blow them out of the water? Why are they still competing at the highest level? Answer is they are continuously improving their work capacity across broad time and modal domains. With this mysterious variable: a mindset to get better everyday. These high level performers with bodies like Greek Gods view themselves as athletes, not just members of their CrossFit gyms. An athlete has the mentality that they can always get better and will always push themselves to their peak potential. Constantly experimenting with new movements and methods of training to keep them improving. Not sticking to banded pull ups for so long because they worked so well in the beginning.

You may understand you will never make to the games and you may not have any desire to do so. This means absolutely nothing though. As a crossfitter you are an athlete, that trains in the sport of CrossFit. It’s as simple as that, even if you don’t compete at local competitions, you’re and athlete nonetheless.

My observation is athletes get stuck in their fitness level. They train CrossFit but their mentality isn’t to constantly better themselves everyday. It’s just to come into the gym and get a workout in. Which honestly is fine. I won’t knock anyone who simply enjoys working out with a group of friends. Just understand that your coach’s ultimate goal is to increase your quality of life, through increasing your fitness. That is the ultimate advantage to being apart of a CrossFit affiliate. You are bestowed with the knowledge and tools to sculpt yourself into an individual whose physically prepared for any physical obstacle life may throw at you. This is the foundation on Crossfit’s training methodology. If you feel you have made no real increase in how prepared you are for the demanding physical aspects of life, there is something missing. A missing link which is intensity. Not just getting a sweat going, but laying everything you have into that one hour you’re in the gym. Crossfit workouts never get easier, they get consistently more painful the higher your fitness rises and if you start to feel all your workouts are getting easier for you to accomplish, you are not being as intense as you could be. You have to view yourself as an athlete to achieve this level of intensity and dedication to increasing your fitness if you want the drastic body change, increased strength, cardiovascular endurance, stamina, speed, agility, balance, coordination, flexibility, power and accuracy. Your gym will provide you with the pathway to achieve these goals. It becomes your challenge to not simply stroll down this pathway while stopping too enjoy a diet coke and then continue, but to stare that pathway down and conquer it. With no questions, no doubts. Only to know today, you’re sprinting as far as you can down that path until it’s time to rest and recover…then continue your journey tomorrow.

Skill
Strict and Kipping pull ups

Strength
EMOM 10
A. Bench Press 3 Reps @ 80% on the Odd minute
B. Strict Pull ups (partner assisted) 4 reps on the Even Minute
Do 1 rep every 15 seconds pausing briefly at the top of each rep

WOD
5 Rounds
30 seconds rest between each round
5 Pull ups
10 GHD sit ups (Scaled: Abmat Sit ups)
15 Squats